The BBB has received a rash of reports about emails, texts, Facebook messages or phone calls with a Washington, D.C., area code — all from scammers posing as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representatives claiming to need payments or deposits in advance to release federal funds.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a statement clarifying that residents do not need to do anything to obtain the stimulus package funds if they filed a tax return in 2018 or 2019. The IRS will use information from those tax filings to identify a bank account number for direct deposit or a physical check will be sent to the address on file with the agency.

Recently, the BBB also warned about 2020 Census scams mentioning stimulus payouts, emphasizing that completing the 2020 Census is not tied to receiving any stimulus funds.

The BBB of Greater Cleveland offers these tips:

Do not pay advance fees: Scammers will sometimes demand an advance payment in order to disburse funds or distribute them faster.

Be skeptical: Fraudulent posts regarding the economic-impact payments are frequently circulated on social media.

Guard personal information: The federal government will not be contacting individuals by phone, text messages or email to obtain bank account information for direct deposits.

Use trusted resources: If you have questions about eligibility for the stimulus payment or its timing, go to IRS.gov/coronavirus.

Pay attention to wording: The official terminology is "economic impact payment" not "stimulus check" or "stimulus payment."